Cost: Undergraduate – full-time home students are normally funded by SAAS, but if not, fees are currently around £1,500; overseas fees are £7,965. Part-time fees are charged at the rate of £116 per module.

Entry requirements: The competition for places is hot, and The Times shows that an average of 19.4 A-level points are required to be accepted for the undergraduate course. For the MSc courses, a good honours degree or a postgraduate diploma in personnel management is necessary. However, candidates who have no qualifications but have relevant work experience may be considered.

About the college: Founded in 1967, the typical entry figures are 1,400 students each year. The Times lists Stirling as fourth out of the 13 Scottish universities for teaching, and 95.7 per cent of students gain employment on leaving.

Star academics: Professor of HRM Chris Baldry is known for a number of research projects on office and working environments, which have covered health and safety and sick building syndrome. Professor of Work and Employment Studies Phil Taylor has published extensively on Call Centres, trade unions, occupational health and the future of work.

Alumni: There is an increasingly active alumni association with a dedicated area on the university website at www.alumni.stir.ac.uk. Among its famous former students are author Iain Banks, Dr John Reid and the First Minister of the Scottish Parliament, Jack McConnell.